Professor Xie, isn't this a case of forcing customers to buy products that don't match the

Shang Song kept his word and didn't send Xie Jing a single WeChat message all day, as he had said he would give him the silent treatment.

When Shang Song returned to Yunding after get off work, Xie Jing was still busy downstairs.

Xie Jing didn't come upstairs until dinner time. Seeing Shang Song curled up on the sofa, he walked over as usual, sat down next to Shang Song, and said, "You're back?"

Shang Song was scrolling through his phone when he gave a perfunctory reply.

Xie Jing didn't say anything more. He just leaned back on the sofa, tilted his head back slightly, and rubbed his brow with his fingers to relieve the fatigue from working for a long time.

Shang Song glanced at Xie Jing, who rubbed his hands for a while before putting them down and leaning against the wall as if resting with his eyes closed.

Shang Song: "Xie Jing! Did you check your phone today?"

Xie Jing then opened his eyes and turned his head to look at him: "Hmm?"

Shang Song: "..."

Great, this blockhead has no idea he's been subjected to passive-aggressive treatment all day!

Shang Song completely lost her temper, threw her phone on the sofa, straddled Xie Jing's lap, grabbed his collar, and roared fiercely:

"Do you even know that I haven't texted you all day?!"

Xie Jing suddenly realized.

He took his phone out of his pocket, opened WeChat, and indeed saw no new messages.

He turned off the screen, put down his phone, reached out and put his arm around Shang Song's lower back, making him sit more securely on his lap. Meeting Shang Song's gaze, he asked, "Then why didn't you text me?"

Shang Song was so taken aback by his question that he couldn't catch his breath. His face turned bright red, and he stammered, unable to say anything coherent.

Should we just say that Shang Song wants to use passive-aggressive tactics?

That's so naive!

He was holding his breath when Xie Jing's hand, which had been supporting his lower back, moved up to Shang Song's back, pulling him into his arms. Xie Jing gently patted Shang Song's back, his large hand conveying a soothing tone, "Are you angry with me again?"

Shang Song sat on Xie Jing's lap and was pulled into his arms. At this moment, his head was resting on Xie Jing's shoulder. He buried his face in the crook of Xie Jing's neck and responded with a muffled sound through gritted teeth.

Xie Jing gently stroked Shang Song's shoulder and back: "But Shang Song, I'm not quite sure what you're still angry with me for. Can you just tell me?"

Upon hearing this, Shang Song's anger completely exploded. He abruptly sat up from Xie Jing's embrace and roared in grievance:

"Because you lied to me using the family rules!"

Xie Jing did not deny it, but nodded instead, "Yes, I made that up."

Upon hearing this, Shang Song felt even more aggrieved and roared, "As expected! Xie Jing, you've gone too far! All I wanted was to sleep with you! And you just gave me that kind of nonsense! You don't even want to do that kind of thing with me! You don't even like me at all!"

Xie Jing's lips tightened as Shang Song vented his emotions, and only then did he speak: "I like you."

Shang Songyu was still furious: "Then why did you do this?!"

Xie Jing: "Because I want to marry you."

Shang Song: "..."

Xie Jing watched as Shang Song's raging anger instantly turned to ashes, and even the tears he was trying to hold back seemed to stop flowing.

His hand on Shang Song's lower back tightened slowly. He looked at Shang Song, seemingly trying to discern any change in Shang Song's expression. He spoke very slowly:

"But, Shang Song, you don't want to marry me, do you?"

Shang Song suddenly loosened his grip on Xie Jing's collar.

Yes.

Of course he doesn't want to get married.

He was only twenty-two years old.

All he wanted was to have a relationship, get some sleep, and find some stability in this chaotic society.

To this day, he has never thought about marriage, even if the person is Xie Jing.

Or rather, it was precisely because that person was Xie Jing that he dared not even think about it.

The gap between him and Xie Jing was simply too great.

During the time he spent in close proximity with Xie Jing, he could feel the enormous gap between them almost constantly.

Those differences manifest in every aspect, from the small details of clothing, food, housing, and transportation to the huge differences in how they perceive, engage with, and respond to the world.

These things, when they were in love, might just be a chasm that they didn't necessarily have to cross.

But if they get married, then this chasm will suddenly change, becoming an unstoppable barrier between them, a vast ocean that Shang Song must swim across.

To the world, this might be seen as a way to climb the social ladder, an opportunity that is hard to come by.

But Shang Song doesn't see it that way.

In a romantic relationship, he can be Xie Jing's lover, or he can be an independent individual.

If he gets married, will he become part of Xie Jing's family?

The Xie family's power is unfathomable. Just hearing about it is terrifying for a mere artist like him, let alone asking him to jump into this deep sea.

He was afraid...

He will drown.

He's so young, he doesn't want to drown.

Shang Song felt more and more aggrieved. All he wanted was to date and sleep with someone, so why was it so difficult?

Why is it that other couples can do things easily, but he and Xie Jing can't?

He lowered his head and muttered sullenly, "...I'm still young."

After Shang Song finished speaking, he didn't hear Xie Jing's reply. He secretly glanced up and saw Xie Jing with his eyes half-closed, seemingly lost in thought. Looking at Xie Jing like this, he felt inexplicably flustered and said again:

"Besides, we agreed to try it out for six months, and we're not even halfway through yet... and you're getting married? It's all so sudden!"

After he finished speaking, he felt the hands around his lower back loosen their grip a little.

He turned his head to look, only to see that hand raised and placed on his shoulder, patting it gently. Xie Jing's voice fell: "Okay, let's not get married yet."

When Shang Song went to see Xie Jing again, Xie Jing had already returned to his usual expression.

Xie Jing patted Shang Song again, gesturing for him to get up, "Let's have dinner first."

Shang Song subconsciously moved away from Xie Jing and sat back down on the sofa.

Xie Jing was the first to stand up and walked straight toward the dining table.

Watching his retreating figure, Shang Song felt even more uneasy. He slowly moved off the sofa and followed behind Xie Jing. "Hey! Xie Jing! Are you unhappy?"

Xie Jing walked to the dining table, pressed the order button, and then turned to look at him: "I know what you're thinking."

Shang Song subconsciously asked, "What was I thinking?"

Xie Jing: "You're being a scoundrel. Your relationship isn't aimed at marriage."

Shang Song, who truly only wanted to act like a rogue: "..."

He opened his mouth, then opened it again, only to find that he couldn't refute it at all.

Does that mean we should just stay in love forever?

The elevator inside dinged as staff pushed in food carts and began to set out the dishes.

Xie Jing sat down and looked at Shang Song, who was still standing there. "Let's eat first."

Shang Song slowly moved to the dining table, looking at the dishes on the table, but had no appetite at all.

He poked at the rice in his bowl, and only after the staff had left did he mutter under his breath, "Why can't dating be a lifelong commitment? Does it have to lead to marriage?"

Xie Jing was ladling soup when he heard this muttering, and he paused in his ladling motion.

Then, as usual, he finished ladling out the soup, gently pushed the bowl towards Shang Song, and asked, "Shang Song, tell me..."

"What's the difference in your opinion between spending a lifetime in a relationship and getting married?"